Traffic-signal apparatus



June 8 1926.

J. S. LEACH TRAFFIC SIGNAL APPARATUS Filed Jan. 18.

WBS

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 8 1926. l y 1,588,240

v J. s. LEACH TRAFFIC l SIGNAL APPARATUS Filed Jan 18. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Ampli 5. [Jah Patented June 8, 1926.

UNITED STATES p f JOSEPH S. LEACH, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

TRAFFIC-SIGNAL APPARATUS.

Application led January 18, i924. Seriall No. 687,142.

The invention relates to signal apparatus for use inl connection with' the regulation 'of vehicularV traflic, particularly at street crossing inter-sections; and it has for its object a device of this character which may be :caused to loperate automatically' or under Vmanual control as may be desired, and

wherein the particular periodthat a signal member operated preferably from fa' con-v v tinuously running motor, the arrangement being such, furthermore, that various rtimings may be obtained for the different-dis- 'playsby substituting a corresponding-controlmember, the substitution being readily Y' l effected and without requiring any particuylar skill. The nature of the invention, however, will best be understood when describedin'cofn-` nection with the accompanying drawings, vin whichv t j Fig. 1 is an elevation of the improved signal apparatus as embodied in a tower. Fig. 2 is a detail vertical section and part elevation of the operating -mechanisnr Fig. 3 is an underneath view of the dis-A` play member table with a portion'of the control member in section and turned into a plane parallel therewith. y y

Fig. 4: is a fragmentary detail view'illustrating the control arrangement for stopping and releasing the' movement of the table.v Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of the Vcontrol 4 member looking in the direction of the arf row, Fig. l' 4.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts thruout the several views. v Y

Referring to the drawings,`the apparatus Y is illustrated as lmounted, upon a suitable post or standard 10, the operating mechanism being enclosed in a housing 11 and the actual signal portion 12 rotatably mountedvabove said housing, as hereinafter more fully set forth. The signal portion or display member 12 'is of octagonal formation, being provided with glass or like faces upon whichl the respective traffic legends are printed, as will be readilyfunderstood. For example, two diametrically opposite faces are marked Go and the pair of -diametrically opposite facesv at rightV angles thereto .mayl be marked Stop. quarter turn, therefore, ofthe displayV member will serve to bring oneor the other into view. The intermediate faces are intended to give a preliminarysignal as to indicate a change in trafiic movement, and to this,

end may, for example, be marked (lhange.v lf desired, Vthe interior of the displayimember maybe suitably illuminated, but this feature forms no particular part 'of the invention, which consists essentially ink the mechanism for aifordingintermittent movement to the said display member.

For-this purpose, the latter ismounted to PAT-ENT v-o-FFICE.

be rotatable about a tubular..member 15 contained with the support' 10, said disv play member comprisinga table v16 carrying the glass plates which bearthe various' aforesaid legendsv and the' said -plates being held thereto in any well-known'or'sp'ecial manner. The table is provided with, a downwardly directed tubular extension or Vsleeve 1-7 fitting over the upper end of the tube l5 andl resting, thru an intermediate ball bearing 18, with its lowermost end upon nthe upper vsurface of a bevel gear 19; The

latter is secured to a sleeve 20, also mounted about the tube 15 and Within the sleeve 17,-

and has secured thereto the one end of a coil spring 21 which is mounted inv an annular recess or pocket 22 provided in the upper surface of the table. The other end Vof the'coil spring is secured to the wallof this pocket, and the said pocket is preferably closed at the top'by a plate 23, thus entirely enclosing the spring. The table is held to the bearing 18 by means of a ring 24% secured to the tubular member 15v above the said top plate 23, and the spring in its pocket 22 is given sufficient initial tension to `effect at least one complete rotation ofthe table., It will, therefore, cause the table to belrotated in a predetermined direction; and a bevel gear 25 is arranged to meshwith the bevel gear 19 .to rewind this spring -in amount corresponding to the degree unwound by the rotational movement of the table and thus maintain its tension. Iower for driving the gear wheel 25' is obtained from any suitable source such as the continuously opeiating electric moto-r' 26 to which current is supplied from any suitable source (not shown). The rotational movement of the table, under the iniiuence ofthe spring, is to be so controlled that the vario-us legends will be displayed for predetermined' periods of time and in accordance with the traiiic movements desired. For example, in one direction of trailic it may be desired to display the wordGro for a longer period thanrthe word Stop as in instances where `there is greater traffic lin one direction than kin the cross, direction.

It is desirable, also `to display a warning previous to the change from Go to .Stopand vice versa; and this period is, of course, to be considerably shorter than forthe regular traffic periods. The word Ghange7 or designations of similar import are therefore to be displayed for ai brief period only.

. To control vthe respective periods of time for the different displays, themotor 26,' thru an intermediate gear train 27, is arranged to drive. a shaft 30 which is mounted at an angle to the plane ofthe table andfiinparts to said Yshaft continuous rotational ,movenient. Theshaft 30 at its outer end carries a control memberv preferably in the forni of a dished member 3l for rotation therewith, the rim 32 of this member being slotted at various-portions with 4the walls Vofthe slots 33 as arcs of circles of diferent radii for the Vpurpose hereinafter set forth. TWhen a dishedtype of control member is employed,Y thesame is inclined to the table and the rim thereof in itsy highest position is designed to extend immediately below the lower surface of the said table. Y From the latter there is arranged to extend normally to the table` a plurality of pins or preferably rrollers V35,

Vcircularly provided over the undersurface substantially at right angles to and adapted to contact with a yroller of the table to prevent thereby rotational movement of said table and until the rotation of the dished member has brought a slot'thereof in registry with the said coacting roller. When this occurs, the roller will slide thru the slot and out of contact with the dished member, as the latter is inclined to the plane of the table sufciently to allow of the roller clearing the entire dished member as soonas it has passed thru a slot. The table will, there- Y fore, rotate a definite distance, that is to say until a succeeding pin arrives to contact with the upper rim portion 5 and it will then vchange to kthe Stop position.

remain stationaryl again until a further registry has been effected between the roller and a succeeding slot of the rim. v

In the illustration, Fig. 3, the one roller 35 is in position to effect a change from the position, for example Go, and as soon as this roller has passed thru the corresponding slot, the table will rotate suiflciently to bring the next face, with Change7 designation, of the octagonal display member into position, Ytheroller corresponding to this position having in the meantime .made contact with the rim. Owing to the different radial positions of the various rollers, there isno danger of a succeeding rollerpassing thru a rim slot just cleared and will vhold the display member at rest until a succeeding slot registers with said roller. Moreover," the walls of the respective slots being substantially as arcs of the particular radius, 'a roller will not be impeded in its passage thru the slots even if' the rim be of appreciable thickness. l/Yhen the period 'of warning designation has elapsed, the 'dislied member will have been rotated sufficiently to cause the corresponding'slot to have reache'daposition to register with the tablev holding roller and again release the table for the The saine mode of operation will then be repeated, but the period in which this'designation is displayed will ybe longer-than the changeor warning periods'. This is followed again'by a change to the warning period equal in time to the previous warning period, whereupon the changeto the Go period takes iplace; and in the embodiment shown, Vis the longest period of display. It will readily kbe appreciated, that if dier'ent' periods lare desired for the respective designations, is

of the table, it is desirableV to providesuitable means which will slow down the yeffective movement of the spring, for example as a vaned member i0 which may be geared to dished member and permit of a limited rotational movement of the said display member.

SignedA at New York in the county of 10 New .York and State of New York this 12th clay of January, A. D. 1924.

JOSEPH s. LEACH. 

